Mumbai, Oct 13 (PTI) The Bombay High Court today alloweda woman from Navi Mumbai to operate the bank accounts of her63-year-old comatose husband after observing that she hadalready suffered a lot.
The woman had approached the high court earlier thisweek, seeking to be appointed as her husband's guardian -- inthe absence of specific legal provisions to deal with therights of such patients -- so that she could operate his bankaccounts to fund his medical care.
A division bench of Justices S M Kemkar and G S Kulkarniallowed the lady to operate the bank accounts and said, "Letus not put her through more troubles."The court had earlier directed the sub-divisionalmagistrate of Thane collectorate to submit a report on thehealth condition of the man, who is a retired general managerof a public sector undertaking (PSU).
It had also directed the woman to submit affidavits ofher two daughters, giving no-objection to their motheroperating the bank accounts.
The court perused the magistrate's report and theaffidavits submitted by the daughters and said, "Thepetitioner is facing hardships. We are permitting thepetitioner to operate the bank accounts."The woman, along with her petition, had submitted reportsof neurologists from the Apollo Hospital in Navi Mumbai,certifying that her husband was suffering from "malignant MCAterritory infarction of the brain" and was "in a persistentvegetative state".
The woman's husband, who had retired as a general managerof an oil PSU, had suffered a paralytic stroke and wasadmitted to the Apollo Hospital on August 30.
He has been "unconscious and in a comatose condition asan indoor patient" on the ventilator life support since hisadmission, the petition had said.
But with his vital and physical parameters stable, thehospital had discharged him after 28 days with an advice thathe be kept under 24-hour care of a trained paramedic.
The PSU had helped with the medical expenses. However, torepay some of the money that the woman had borrowed and forthe continued care of her husband, which is expected to costRs one lakh a month, she needed to withdraw from his savingsand bank accounts, the petition had said. PTI SP RMTRC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.